mumbai

[katie]

shit.

[eebs]

Indeed. Our offshore operation is based in Mumbai and I speak on a pretty much daily basis to one of the managers there. Hoping that none of the team been caught up in this. Some of Amy's former colleagues are in India at the moment and are due to be flying back from Mumbai any day.

There's some pictures here http://www.flickr.com/photos/vinu/sets/ ... 144709049/

One of the terrorists here - http://www.flickr.com/photos/dina_mehta/3062132216/

[monet2u]

scary

[zenmomma]

About a dozen of my old co-workers are there to train people for new work that is being outsourced.

I had a text message from someone who's at my old office in the UK saying that everyone in India was okay,
but they are supposed to be flying back home on Saturday. They are just outside of Mumbai.

Please keep them in your thoughts.

[eebs]

Was reassuring to see a familar name in the inbox today! everyone accounted for at our end too - no trips to Mumbai for UK staff until further notice.

[zenmomma]

I just got a message from one of the guys who is out in India.

They had to change their travel arrangements slightly,
but are still due to fly out of Mumbai and should be home on Sunday.

Scary stuff.

[katie]

i'm glad your people seem to be okay.

[mere1975]

We also have outsourced work in Mumbai, but I don't work with anyone directly. Still, ugh, terrorism.

- Mere "just not right, in any language or religion" 1975

[mr_j]

the last two times this week that I talked to my best friend, Sunil, he went on a rant for about an hour about Muslims and Pakistan. He's American but is a first-generation American, and his wife is Indian. it's weird, because it's really evoked a lot of pro-Indian opinions from him. he said he seriously wishes India would simply use their nukes on Pakistan. He said he wants to see it turned into glowing embers of nuclear ash. It's some harsh words from the most peaceful-minded fellow I know.

It's really weird to hear him talk this way, because he's always been ambivalent about India, even more so since he went there. He said the people there are funny--they're very mistrusting of any Indian who doesn't live in India, and they take it to extremes. For instance, he said that when you go to Taj Mahal, if you are a native, it only costs about 50 cents American to visit it, and it's cheap if you're a foreigner, it's still cheap, BUT if you are a foreigner of Indian descent, they charge around 100 bucks American. He told me that when he and his wife went there on their honeymoon, the site had little kids selling memorablia outside among the crowd. The kids apparently talk to everyone, he said, and when they talked to him, he used the little Hindi he knew, but the kid knew and started yelling "AMERICAN! AMERICAN!" and the guards forced him to pay the full price.

[James]

the last two times this week that I talked to my best friend, Sunil, he went on a rant for about an hour about Muslims and Pakistan. He's American but is a first-generation American, and his wife is Indian. it's weird, because it's really evoked a lot of pro-Indian opinions from him. he said he seriously wishes India would simply use their nukes on Pakistan. He said he wants to see it turned into glowing embers of nuclear ash. It's some harsh words from the most peaceful-minded fellow I know.

It's really weird to hear him talk this way, because he's always been ambivalent about India, even more so since he went there. He said the people there are funny--they're very mistrusting of any Indian who doesn't live in India, and they take it to extremes. For instance, he said that when you go to Taj Mahal, if you are a native, it only costs about 50 cents American to visit it, and it's cheap if you're a foreigner, it's still cheap, BUT if you are a foreigner of Indian descent, they charge around 100 bucks American. He told me that when he and his wife went there on their honeymoon, the site had little kids selling memorablia outside among the crowd. The kids apparently talk to everyone, he said, and when they talked to him, he used the little Hindi he knew, but the kid knew and started yelling "AMERICAN! AMERICAN!" and the guards forced him to pay the full price.

These reactions aren't surprising. Over here they consistently bill these attacks as "The Indian 9-11", and I remember some pretty drastic things said in the wake of that by normally more peaceful people. It's that moment after shock turns to anger. Plus, I'm sure he's been part of a household that has had pent-up feelings against Pakistan for centuries; that little feud goes back thousands of years too.

It's true what you say about Indians outside of India though, and it's true pretty much of all the subcontinent folk. I worked with a guy whose family was from Bangladesh, and although his father was well-respected there, he still got stiffed considerably when visiting. But he understood though. It wasn't as drastic as the situation you describe but it does go on.

[mr_j]

These reactions aren't surprising. Over here they consistently bill these attacks as "The Indian 9-11", and I remember some pretty drastic things said in the wake of that by normally more peaceful people. It's that moment after shock turns to anger. Plus, I'm sure he's been part of a household that has had pent-up feelings against Pakistan for centuries; that little feud goes back thousands of years too.

It's true what you say about Indians outside of India though, and it's true pretty much of all the subcontinent folk. I worked with a guy whose family was from Bangladesh, and although his father was well-respected there, he still got stiffed considerably when visiting. But he understood though. It wasn't as drastic as the situation you describe but it does go on.

*Warning: Spree Content Ahead*

He's one of the funniest, sweetest guys I know. We really got to know each other when we went to the 2001 Spree show, where we had fun, great mexican food, (Tim and Julie were having supper with some friends--i think one was Rubbs--and was so impressed that we'd driven down from Lubbock just to see him, he offered to let us crash at his place, or, at the least, get us a hotel room.) hung out for a little bit with this new member named Michael Turner, spilled liquor on Rhett Miller and I apologized by quoting his Unkie Roger by saying "dang me!," and we sat behind Phil Karnats, who was telling a constant string of dirty jokes to his friends. we drove back to lubbock right after the show; he was amazed by the experience, and i was drunkenly on UFO patrol. During that trip, I asked him how Indian he felt he was, and he delivered this classic zinger, which I still use today:

"Well, I've never been called a wog, but I hate the British."